Macrowikinomics: Rebooting Business and the World [Hardcover]

Don Tapscott (Author), Anthony D. Williams (Author)

Book Description

Release date: September 28, 2010

In their 2007 bestseller, Wikinomics Don Tapscott and Anthony Williams showed the world how mass collaboration was changing the way businesses communicate, create value, and compete in the new global marketplace. Now, in the wake of the global financial crisis, the principles of wikinomics have become more powerful than ever.

Many of the institutions that have served us well for decades or centuries seem stuck in the past and unable to move forward. And yet, in every corner of the globe, a powerful new model of economic and social innovation is sweeping across all sectors-one where people with drive, passion, and expertise take advantage of new Web-based tools to get more involved in making the world more prosperous, just, and sustainable.

Tapscott and Williams show that in over a dozen fields-from finance to health care, science to education, the media to the environment-we have reached a historic turning point: cling to the old industrial-era paradigms or use collaborative innovation to revolutionize not only the way we work, but how we live, learn, create, govern, and care for one another. You'll meet innovators such as:

* An Iraq veteran whose start-up car company is "staffed" by over 4,500 competing designers and supplied by microfactories around the world
* A microlending community where 570,000 individuals help fund new ventures-from Angola to Vietnam
* An online community for people with life-altering diseases that also serves as a large-scale research project
* An astronomer who is mapping the universe with the help of 250,000 citizen scientists

Tapscott and Williams once again use original research to provide vivid new examples of organizations that are successfully embracing the principles of wikinomics to change the world.

Visit www.Macrowikinomics.com.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"MacroWikinomics takes the art of mass collaboration and breaks it down to a science with strategies for the rebuilding our institutions for this time of profound change."
--Lazaro Campos, CEO, Swift

"The MacroWikinomics assertion that 'there has never been a more exciting time to be human' is spot on. The new engine of innovation driven by collaboration, openness, stewardship and the power of the social web gives all of us an opportunity to drive even more rapid, meaningful change across global institutions. This is particularly relevant for the technology industry, which has always been about enabling human potential."
--Michael Dell, President and CEO, Dell inc.

"Tapscott and Williams are the world's foremost thought leaders in the arena where human behavior, digital innovation and societal challenges intersect. Each of us-whether leaders of global institutions or individual citizens of the world-would be wise to follow their counsel as we attempt to mitigate the challenges and embrace the opportunities we collectively face."
Brian J. Dunn, CEO, Best Buy Co., Inc.

"MacroWikinomics connects the big picture of business, culture and society with what is really going on in the trenches of the new digital world. Don Tapscott and Anthony Williams re-affirm their authority by offering facts in the style of demographers and by storytelling in the manner of acute social observers. Leaders of the future must take their lessons on co-creation and authenticity to heart."
--Brian Fetherstonhaugh, Chairman and CEO, OgilvyOne

"When Tapscott and Williams released Wikinomics, it heralded a new era of collaboration -- one that has had a profound impact on how business is done. Now with "MacroWikinomics, they sow how business, government and civil society and people everywhere can leverage technology to work together in new ways to solve the greatest problems of our multi-polar world. Critical reading for those who want to help shape the new agenda."
--Bill Green, Chairman and CEO, Accenture

"Macrowikinomics sets out comprehensively and holistically, what it will take to reset the post crisis world, harnessing the power of the Net and the NetGeneration."
--Ian Hudson, President EMEA, Dupont

"Once again Don and Anthony nailed it. There is no better team to tell us what's coming next. This is a must read if you want to know how mass collaboration in a re-booted world will transform us."
--Jeff Joerres, Chairman and CEO, ManPower

"Like Lewis and Clark for the digital age, Tapscott and Williams have explored the borders, boundaries and landscape of the new interdependent world. They are the cartographers of the 21st century and Macrowikinomics is a map for the transformational voyage we surely must take."
--Kevin Kelly, CEO, Heidrick and Struggles

"A magnificent work, Tapscott and Williams guide us through the labyrinth of a new world where everything is being redesigned by collaboration on the Internet. MacroWikinomics follows the threads of collective intelligence as they reweave the fabric of our institutions."
Kevin Kimberlin, Chairman of Spencer Trask & Co

"A provocative and powerful series of ideas and case studies which challenge every leader to seize the opportunity to "make a difference." The fresh perspectives in Macrowikonomics should inspire all of us to collaborate in new ways to leverage talent and ideas from every corner of the world and develop new solutions to meet the challenges we are facing today."
--Craig Mulhauser, CEO, Celestica

"A Masterpiece. An iconic & defining book for our time. Macrowikinomics shows us a future ready to be shaped (and saved) by a global network of extracurricular thinkers. Once again, Don and Anthony prove that in the new global economy it's much better to throw ideas than to throw elbows. Take heart and take heed, technology has shrunk the world so we can grow it anew. And the seeds are all in here."
--Mark Parker, CEO, Nike Inc.

"Tapscott and Williams have crafted a blueprint to a better world for our children. Macrowikinomics defines the agenda for systemic change we need, and ignore at our peril."
-Kal Patel, Executive Vice President, Best Buy

"Majestic-- breathtaking in its breadth, coverage, and richness of detail. Don and Anthony have taken the trends of collaboration, openness, sharing, integrity and interdependence, and placed them in pragmatic real-life contexts across a plethora of spheres covering government and citizenship, healthcare, education, transportation, media and banking. Thoroughly recommended for anyone who's interested in seeing how the world is changing."
-JP Rangaswami, Chief Scientist, BT Group PLC

"Tapscott and Anthony Williams' insights about the power of collaborative innovation and open systems, and their call to 'reboot' our institutions - usiness, education, media, government - hasn't come a minute too soon. Macrowikinomics inspires by chronicling these pathbreaking developments and pointing the way forward for all of us."
--Eric Schmidt, CEO Google

"A rich and expansive guide to not only adapting to but also mastering our digital future. A must read for any decision maker!"
-Klaus Scwabb, Founder and Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum

"MacroWikinomics underscores the critical importance of transparency, participation and collaboration among business, government and citizens in addressing global challenges like corruption."
Nancy Zucker Boswell, Managing Director, Transparency International

About the Author

Don Tapscott and David Ticoll co-founded the business research and consulting firm Digital 4Sight in 1994. They have written for publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, Harvard Business Review, The Globe and Mail and Forbes and appeared on national broadcast media around the world. Both live in Toronto.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 432 pages
• Publisher: Portfolio Hardcover (September 28, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591843561
• ISBN-13: 978-1591843566
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #170,499 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 61 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Stronger at description and raising issues than providing actionable insight September 29, 2010

By Mark P. McDonald TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Using the power of each of us to solve problems that challenge all of us is the central premise of Macrowikinomics. Tapscott has always been good at spotting, shaping and branding trends and this book is no exception. However, this book repeats and restates earlier ideas rather then moving forward to the next logical question of how we do this.

I am sorry to provide a less than enthusiastic review, as I am sure others will find this book revolutionary. However, I am reviewing the book as someone who wants to learn how to make the changes that Tapscott and Williams advocate in my company and industry.

The authors do cover different industries and mention emerging companies giving the impression that the book breaks new ground. However, readers familiar with Tapscott's other works will find that this book repeats and restates Wikinomics more than it covers new ground. It is clear that Tapscott and Williams are looking at this issue from the macro economic rather than business perspective. Is there microwikinomics in the wings?

The book's structure reinforces this observation as it starts by revisiting the basics of the Wikinomics and the five principles of networked intelligence: Collaboration, Openess, Sharing, Integrity and Interdependence. The authors next concentrate on discussing the complex challenges and industries under threat. These include: Green energy, Transportation, Education, Health Care, Media and Government.

The middle section repeats the same pattern of describing their issue, the inability of modern approaches to address the issue and examples of companies using wikinomics to address the issue which that authors report are too early to be reshaping the world we live in.

The last part of the book concentrates on the challenges posed by wikinomics. In my opinion these last two chapters are the more valuable parts of the book, particularly for someone who has already read Wikinomics. But these chapters, like the rest of the book, raises more issues than it resolves.

Recommendations

If you are a wikinomics fan, then you will probably buy the book no matter what anyone says. As a reader familiar with Wikinomics I found more examples but little in the ways of new ideas or applications. The examples are interesting but they lack specifics of how you apply wikinomic principles.

This is a four star book, if you are new to Wikinomics. Macrowikinomics has more examples of than the original book. I would suggest reading Chapters 1-4, then the chapters related to your industry and finish with chapters 18 and 19. This should make the book about 150 - 200 pages which is an appropriate length.

This is a three star book for those who enjoyed Wikinomics and wanted to learn more about how leaders are applying these ideas rather than where the ideas could be applied. I had hoped for more than an expanded restatement of the earlier book.

Strengths

Comprehensive in tackling a diverse set of global issues and industries. The breadth of Tapscott and William's discussion illustrates the broad ability of social media and mass collaboration to change the way the world works.

Company specific examples are interesting and they do illustrate that people are applying these ideas in each of these areas, but the examples are general marketing level descriptions rather than providing actionable advice.

The beginning and the end of the book are quite clear and provide a good overview of the ideas in the book. These include chapters 2, 4, 18 and 19.

Challenges

The authors have had more than three years since the introduction of Wikinomics to understand how these forces work in companies. Unfortunately there is little of this understanding in the book. It does not discuss how to address significant issues such as assigning responsibility, accountability, management, measurement and rewards. These are issues that people running companies need to face and ones that people studying rather than living the problem can overlook.

The authors are at times strident in their dismissal of current governments, companies, industries and individuals. Throughout the book the authors are clear that they believe that believe that wikinomics is the only way to solve these issues. This may be a good way to energize people around social issues, but it does little to help people apply these ideas to evolve from where they are to where they need to be.

Americans appear to be the primary audience for the book. While Tapscott and Williams mention India and China, their intended audience is people in the U.S. This is surprising given the author's calls for a coordinated global response to economic and environmental issues.

The book is long at over 400 pages; in large part because of the middle chapters follow a similar structure, which makes the book seem repetitive and reinforces the impression that the authors believe that the same solution applies to every situation.

The notion of 'rebooting business and the world' is an interesting premise and an inaccurate description of what the authors intend since rebooting is used most often as a way of solving problems by resetting the system to its original configuration. This is not what the authors intend but it's the analogy they have chosen.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars too long, too repetitive November 29, 2010

By Mark Oestreicher

Format:Hardcover

when i read wikinomics (by the same authors) some time ago, it sparked my imagination in multiple ways and had me laying down the book multiple times to write up little ideas that were bursting forth from my brain. and i was hoping for the same with this sequel. that first book was about how a collaborative culture (wiki culture) is reshaping business and other fields. this sequel widens the implications to broader cultural and societal categories. chapters include everything from wiki-government to re-dreaming the publishing industry (and a dozen macro-categories in between). the first two or three chapters had me charged up -- but it was probably more from expectation than reality. problem is: the book is too long and too repetitive. in the end, i was just reading to finish it, and felt the authors showed arrogance in both approach and overstatement.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Macrowikinomics falls short of expectation November 11, 2010

By Tony J. Ridley

Format:Hardcover

A great source of information for the continuing trend (soon to become norm) of collaborative management and the impact it has on modern business. Unfortunately the majority of the book seems to be primarily concerned with validating their previous forecast by making Wikinomics comparisons and analysis to as many main stream industries/sectors as possible.

For me, the best parts of the book (tangible information and something I can immediately apply) can be condensed into about 12 pages.